1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telephone ring signaling systems, and more particularly to methods for customizing selection of ring tones for a telephone.
2. Background of the Invention
In recent years, there have been significant advancements in capabilities and features provided in telephone systems. In addition to the standard functionality for placing telephone calls, modern telephones now include calling logs and telephone directories, and allow users to adjust ring volume, ring tone, and displays, among many other features. Whereas telephones had once been thought of as being simple and interchangeable, modem telephone systems now can be customized according to users' unique preferences.
There are many reasons why users customize the operation of their telephones. First, many features that are now available on telephone systems facilitate more efficient and convenient telephone usage. For example, telephone users create personalized telephone directories to save time that would otherwise be spent searching for forgotten telephone numbers. As another example, a user might adjust the ring volume to a louder setting so as not to miss a call while outside or to a softer setting so as not to disturb a sleeping child. Features such as calendars and calculators, alarm clocks and call timers are popular with users because they add convenient functionality in an easily accessible, portable electronic device.
Another reason why users customize their telephones is because users simply enjoy configuring personal telephones to their tastes and preferences as a form of self-expression. For example, most cellular telephones enable users to create personal welcoming messages on the display, choose from dozens of different audible ring tones, and even customize the external appearance of the telephone through artistic faceplates. Since users are spending more and more time of each day communicating over a telephone, and carry cordless telephones throughout their houses and cellular telephones wherever they travel, it is not unexpected that many users seek to maximize the enjoyment of their telephones.
Of all the features provided in modern telephones that can be personalized, the selection of ring tones is perhaps one of the most popular. Most cellular telephones now include a list of different “tunes” that can be played instead of the standard ‘ringing’ sound that used to be associated with a telephone. Long gone are the days when a telephone included an actual bell for generating a ringing signal to indicate an incoming call—now telephones can select between tunes such as “Auld Lang Syne” and “Happy Birthday.” Users may periodically change their selected ringer “tune” to distinguish their phone from others (e.g., when there are multiple phone lines in a house), or simply for the sake of variety.
Once telephone manufacturers discontinued the use of actual ringing bells in telephones, simulated “ringing” signals were generated by means of a piezoelectric tone generator. Such telephones could signal an incoming call by sending a pulsed electrical signal to the generator to create a ‘staccato-styled’ monotone. Users could adjust the volume of the ring, and perhaps the rhythm of the pulsed signal, but no additional customization was available.
Upon the advent of digital telephones, “ringers” were changed to utilize tone generators capable of playing different frequencies, or “notes.” The ringer systems that are provided on most conventional digital telephones, whether for use in a landline or wireless network, operate by altering the frequency of a single tone to create a musical scale. For each available song, the memory within the telephone stores a sequence of quantized frequencies or “notes” of the song. Typically, the memory is located within the handset of either a cordless or a cellular telephone. Since the amount of memory space is finite, a song usually consists of a repeating section of a recognizable “tune.” Thus, while the tune is sufficiently recognizable to be amusing, the quality of sound is usually rather poor. Some telephones include a multi-tone (polyphonic) tone generator, but this only marginally improves the quality of sound.
Although many users appreciate the variety of choosing between a dozen or so ringer “tunes” on a digital telephone, most of these tunes are merely novelty songs that quickly become tiresome. For example, while a user might enjoy setting a telephone ringer to play the “Happy Birthday” tune during his/her birthday, this tune might not otherwise be selected.
During the past few years, it has become known to download music samples as .wav files or MP3 files, or receive streams of music as RealAudio or Windows Media streaming files. Such technologies enable users to store, in digital form, high quality reproductions of music on computer memory. Due to recent advances in semiconductor storage capacity, it also has become known to store voice data (such as in dictaphones, digital answering machines, etc.) on memory cards for life-like play back. However, systems and methods are not known for improving the sound reproduction of ring tones in digital telephones.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system for improving the quality of ring tones in digital telephones.